Bojan Bogdanovic could get used to this.
Bogdanovic spent most of this season with the bottom-feeding Detroit Pistons but was shipped to the New York Knicks in a six-player deal that also destined Motor City teammate Alec Burks back to Manhattan. With their arrival, the Knicks were commonly viewed as one of the big winners of the trade deadline and, at full strength, possibly boast one of the Association's deepest rotations.
Bogdanovic proved his worth to the Knicks on Thursday, scoring a team-best 22 points in a 110-96 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. The former Piston was a perfect 6-of-6 from three-point range, becoming just the sixth Knick in franchise history to have a perfect night from deep with a minimum of six tries.
"It's always fun when you and your team plays well, so as long as we are winning the game, we'll have fun," Bogdanovic said postgame, per video from SNY.
“It was huge. It gave us a big cushion and I thought he and Alec [Burks] gave us a good lift as well but Bogi’s shots opened up the floor for us,” head coach Tom Thibodeau added, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “I think that was a big factor in building that lead and we know right now we’re undermanned, so we have to make the threes.”
The entries of Bogdanovic and Burks coincided with several injuries in the bolstered rotation, including indefinite absences for OG Anunoby and Julius Randle. Bogdanovic himself wasn't immune, as a sore calf kept him out of the Knicks' Feb. 14 visit to Orlando, the last addition to a four-game losing streak that sent the Knicks into the All-Star break.
While the win was a source of relief for all parties involved with the Knicks, likely few savored the taste more than Bogdanovic, who enjoyed just his fourth winning effort of the season between Detroit and New York.
Bogdanovic is a key part of the Knicks' success as he spaces the floor and provides a threat from distance. New York noticeably suffered from deep during its 10-game postseason run in 2023, standing as the only team among the 16 playoff entrants to shoot less than 30 percent.
If he plays like he did on Thursday for the rest of the year, it would be safe to say that Bogdanovic will have a little more fun ... and more wins will surely follow.
Bogdanovic and the Knicks are back in action on Saturday night against the Boston Celtics (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
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